MMA Junkie's 2019 'Event of the Year': UFC 244: Masvidal vs. Diaz

MMA Junkie's 2019 'Event of the Year': UFC 244: Masvidal vs. Diaz

With Donald Trump, “The Rock,” the “BMF” title and a fight card packed with highlight-reel finishes and edge-of-the-seat decisions, UFC 244 at Madison Square Garden just about had it all.

The Nov. 2 event in New York broke from the regular tradition of having a UFC title fight at the top of the pay-per-view card, but in place of the shiny gold belt we had something slightly different: a black and gunmetal-grey replacement belt that looked harder, edgier and altogether more appropriate for the two men set to throw down in the event headliner.

Jorge Masvidal enjoyed a banner year heading into fight night. After 16 years as a pro, “Gamebred” found another gear in 2019. He stunned Darren Till in London, delivered the now-infamous “three-piece and a soda” to Leon Edwards backstage, then moved on to demolish Ben Askren with a record-breaking five-second flying knee at UFC 239.

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In New York, he took on Nate Diaz, the man who handed Conor McGregor the first loss of his UFC career and in the process became a bona fide superstar in his own right. The fight between Masvidal and Diaz might not have been a fight for a UFC title, but it felt bigger than a regular non-title main event, and Diaz’s suggestion that he fights for the “Baddest Mother(expletive) in the game belt” eventually transformed from a cool sound byte to MMA reality when a $50,000 one-off “BMF” belt was commissioned especially for the occasion.

The fight itself lived up to all expectations when the two met in the center of the octagon and threw down. Masvidal was on top, but Diaz, thanks to his bulletproof cardio, often comes on strong in the later rounds and the anticipation and excitement levels were through the roof as the bout prepared to go into the championship rounds. Then a cageside physician intervened and ruled that a deep cut above Diaz’s eye was too serious to allow him to continue. The fight was waved off and Masvidal claimed the TKO victory – and the “BMF” title as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson wrapped the belt around the Miami man’s waist.

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Jorge Masvidal def. Nate Diaz at UFC 244: Best photos

But UFC 244 was about so much more than just that crazy main event. The co-main event saw the return of former welterweight title challenger Till, who executed a smart, mature game plan to outpoint Kelvin Gastelum by split decision. There was another decision when Stephen Thompson and Vicente Luque engaged in a hugely entertaining welterweight battle that ended with “Wonderboy” taking the spoils. And “The Black Beast,” Derrick Lewis, picked up a big win when he outbattled seemingly unbreakable Bulgarian Blagoy Ivanov over three rounds.

But before that trio of decisions, the New York crowd was royally treated by five back-to-back knockouts. Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Edmen Shahbazyan, Shane Burgos, Corey Anderson and Kevin Lee all produced impressive stoppage victories. None were more eye-catching than Lee’s stunning head-kick finish of the previously-undefeated Gregor Gillespie. “The Motown Phenom” kicked off the pay-per-view portion of the card in the most spectacular way possible.

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Kevin Lee def. Gregor Gillespie at UFC 244: Best photos

The action was overseen by none other than president Trump, whose affiliation with mixed martial arts, and UFC president Dana White, stretches back to the early Zuffa-era of the organization. And while the commander-in-chief received a reception best described as mixed from the New York crowd, the significance of his presence certainly added to the big-event feel at “The Garden” on Nov. 2.

Other events ran it close for our “Event of the Year” award. UFC 239 gave us a memorable night during “International Fight Week” when Masvidal produced that incredible finish of Askren, while UFC 241 delivered a spectacular main card when Stipe Miocic stopped Daniel Cormier to reclaim the heavyweight title and Nate Diaz defeated Anthony Pettis in the co-main event. Plus, Paulo Costa edged out Yoel Romero on the scorecards after a fight of the year candidate and there were also a standout stoppage wins for Sodiq Yusuff and Khama Worthy.

But while those events delivered the goods on fight night, none had quite that sense of scale and anticipation that we experienced with UFC 244, and that’s why the UFC’s New York card in November gets our nod as MMA Junkie’s 2019 “Event of the Year.”